Rotary steam-engine.



D. TAIFIRNOPOULOS.

ROTARY'STBAM ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1914.

1,1 1 9,549. Patented Dec. 1,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVEN TOR. 7

M v A TTORN D. TAIFIRNOPOULOS.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1914.

Patented Dec. 1,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII IXIIIIIIIIIUII Imm I INVENTOR. firm/no.5 2672?)0000/05,

WITNESSES A TTORNE V.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0. FHOTCLLITHO WASHINGTON. D. L

D. TAIFIRNOPOULOS.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1914.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

III. Jill/l A TTORNE UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

DIMITRIQS TAIFIRNOPOULOS, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

eliminating waste of energy and reducing considerably the cost ofconstruction. I am aware that the solution of this problemhas beenattempted by the construction of steam turbines, but my device isintended to solve this problem in another economical way, combiningsimplicity of construction with efliciency in operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device suitable fordirect coupling to.

rotating shafts such as used in steamships and, by makmg 1t adaptablefor perfornnng a large number of revolutions withln a given space oftime, to render it useful for direct coupling with machinery requiringgreat axial velocity, such as dynamos etc.

I attain my object by the particular arrangement and combination ofparts hereinafter described and reference will now be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in'its preferred form. Fig. 2is a front elevation and Fig. 3 a rear-elevation of the same. Fig. 4 isa longitudinal section of the device. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are crosssectional viewstaken on the lines 55 and 66 respectively of Fig. 4. Fig.7 is a cross secv tional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 1

and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9is a cross sectional View taken on theline 9-9 of Fig. 4. Fig. 10 is across sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is aplan view of part of the device with some parts shown in dotted lines.Figs. 12 and 13 are cross sectional views of the part shown in Fig. 11,taken on the lines 12'12 and 1313 respectively, of Fig. 11. Fig. 14 is across sectional view taken on the lines 14-14 of Fig.4. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed May 16, 1914. Serial No. 839,035.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

1 Throughout the separate views the same part is designated by the samereference character. I v Referring more particularly to the drawng, 2l'designates a base plate and extendmg upward from same, at theffrontend, is

a vertical support 22, and at the rear end av similar vertical supportAt the front end of the support 22'there is a chamber 24 threaded at thelower end to receive therein the threaded end 25 of a steam inlet pipe26. Mounted on the top of the support 22 is an oil reservoir 27communicating with the chamber 24 through an oil bore 28, from where theoil is carried on by the draft of the steam to the spots requiring it. Asubstantially hollow shaft 29 is journaled into the support 22 and madesteam tight by means of a screwed in stufling box 30. The friction istaken up by a ball bearing 31. The hollow end of the shaft 29 abuts inthe chamber '24" of the support 22 affording means for the inlet of thesteam from the pipe 26.- The rear end of the shaft 29 is taken up by asleeve 32 carried by the support 23 and made steamtiglit therein by astufiing box 33. An oil reservoir 34 and an oil bore 35 provide for thelubrication at this end of the engine. The shaft 29 is full at itsmiddle-portion and hollow again from there up to the-rear end, where itis closed and ends in claws or clutches such as 36. A

recess 37' in the sleeve 32 around'the end of the shaft 29 allows thesteam to escape through holes such as 39 Worked in the shaft- 29. andholes such as 40 worked in the sleeve 32, into a recess 38 formed in thesupport 23, wherefrom the steam enters the exhaust pipe-41 giving intothe recess 38.

A double expansion (highand low pressure) cylinder 42'is rotatablymounted on the shaft 29,-by means of a sleeve 43 screwed into thecylinder head 44 and the sleeve 32 screwed in the cylinder head 45. Thetwo cylinder heads-44 and 4-5, and an intermediate partition 46 betweenthe two compartments of the cylinder (highand low pressure) are kepttogether by bolts such as 47 and secured by nuts such as 48 on eitherend. The cylinder casing 49 isin one piece with the cylinder head'44'andthe cylinder casing 50 is in one piece with the cylinder head 45,

hinges such as 51 (Figs. 5 and 6) being formed all about the cylindercasing for taking up the bolts 47. An outer casing 52 runs around theunited double-cylinder l2 to give it a smooth outer surface and to serveas pulley in case of transmission of the power by means of a belt.WVithin each (the lowand highpressure) compartment of the cylinder 42 acorresponding piston is rigidly mounted on the shaft 29. The pistons forboth the high and low pressure compartments of the cylinder are ofsubstantially the same construction and vary only in their respectivesizes and outletmeans. They have sleeves such as 53 by means of whichthey are secured to the shaft 29, heads such as 54, 55. 56 and 57 andshells such as 58. Each of the pistons is divided into two separatechambers divided by partitions such as 59 being substantially at rightan les with the sleeve 53, except at two opposite places, where theyform a helical line as shown in Fig. 4 in the high pressure piston. Thetwo pistons are so placed in respectto each other that the differentparts of the periphery of one piston are exactly at right angles withthe corresponding parts of the periphery of the other piston. Thereforethe cut through both pistons, in their normal position in respect toeach other (from which position they cannot move) shows the helicallineof section of the partition in one of the pistons, whereas at the sametime the diagonal lineof section is shown in the other piston. Thehelical formation is produced by two shoots or channels at oppositeplaces of the periphery of the pistons, in each piston, having openingssuchas 61 in the shell 58 of each piston. Each piston. has two lugs orbosses such as 62 peripherically opposite on the outer surface of theshell 58 of the pistons, each boss 62 having a channel such as 63leading from the inlet chamber of each piston into the space between thepistons and the cylinder. In the cylinder casing recesses such as G lare formed and pivoted to bolts such as 65 passing from one cylinderhead to the other, secured there by nuts such as 66 on theoutside of thecylinder heads, are valve plates 67 as shown in detail in Fig. 11,fitting exactly into the recesses 64 and made steamtight by tongues suchas 68 fitted in grooves atthree sides or edges of the valve plates 67and springs in said grooves, such as 69, tending to push the tonguesoutward. Other springs such as 70, sunk into the shell of the pistons,tend to push the valve plates 6? out from the recesses 64 and the valveplates 67 are of such dimensions as to form steamtight gates in thistheir normal position, in the space be tween the pistons and thecylinder. Springs such as 71 are fitted to the bosses 62 to lessen theforce of their impact with the valve plates 67. Holes such as 72 in theshaft 29 and in the sleeves of the pistons 53 afford an entrance to thesteam from the shaft to the inlet chamber of the high pressure pistonand an escape of the steam from the exhaust chamber of the low pressurecylinder into the shaft 29. Other holes such as 73 in the piston heads55 and 56 and in the partition L6 allow the steam to pass from theexhaust chamber of the high pressure piston into the inlet chamber ofthe low pressure piston. All these holes are so placed in respect toeach other in each of the contacting surfaces, that they overlap eachother so that there is always at least one pair of corresponding holesoppcsite to each other, affording a free and unobstructed passage to thesteam, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 9 with respect to another partof the engine. The sleeve 43 ends in claws 74- forming a clutch and asleeve 75 (Fig. 7) slidable on the shaft 29 longitudinally of the same,is kept from rotating with it by tongs such as 76 extending at bothsides of the sleeve 7 5 into grooves or slots worked in lever 77 whichthereby carries the sleeve 7 with it. The sleeve 7 5 has claws such as78 both to the rear and to the front, susceptible of engaging andforming a clutch gear with both the claws 74 on the sleeve 43 (andthereby the cylinder 42) and with another clutch sleeve 79 rigidlymounted on the shaft 29. The lever 77 is made of two legs 80 and 81united on the top by bolts or screws 82 and pivoted at their lowerextremity to two brackets 82 screwed to the base plate 21 by means of abolt. 83. Between the two brackets the base plate 21 is slotted as at84: (Fig. 4:) and a member 85, also pivoted to the brackets 82 by meansof a bolt 86, is passed through the slot 84: and fixed to the legs 80and 81 of the lever 77, by means of a bolt 87 passing through said legsand through the member 85, the latter being pivot-able on the bolt 87.To the lower extremity of the member 85 is pivotally connected anothermember 88, as shown at 89, and the member 88 passes under the base plate21 to. the rear of same, being there curved upward and rearward andvhaving connected to its upper end a ring 90. Through this ring 90 passesan extension shaft 91 having two flanges 92 one on each side of the ring90, to keep the latter fixedly in its place on the shaft 91. Theextension shaft 91 enters the open rear end of the sleeve and ends inclaws protruding both forward and rearward, such as 93, and forming aclutch adapted to engage the clutches 36 at the rearend of the shaft 29.on one hand, and, on the other hand, the clutches 9% formed in theinside of the rear end of the sleeve 32. The rear end of the engine ismade steai'ntight by means of a stuffing box 95, fastened to the rearsupport 23.

The operation of the engine is as follows:

The steam enters through the inlet pipe 26 and the chamber 24 the spaceA in the shaft 29 and therefrom through the holes 72 the inlet chamber Bof the high pressure piston.

' der and the pistons (and with them the shaft 29 on which they arerigidly mounted) to rotate in respect to each other in the directionsmarked by the arrows, the expansion occurring in the spaces inclosed bythe open front of each boss 6? and the nearest valve plate 67 in frontof it, whereas in the chamberbehind the boss, marked D, compression iscreated which forces the steam out through the openings 61 into theexhaust chamber of the high pressure piston, here designated by Fromhere it passes through theholes 73 into the inlet chamber ofthe lowpressure piston, F and makes again the same circuit through channels 63into the space C of the low pressure cylinder, then behind the bosses 62into the spaces D- and through the openings 61, always of the lowpressure piston, into the exhaust chamber of same, designated G. Fromhere it escapes through the holes 72 in the rear section of the shaft29, int.) the space H of the same, and through the holes 39 and 4.0ofthe shaft 29 and sleeve 32, respectively,

into the exhaust pipeel, leading to the condensator. By moving the lever7? forward and aft, either the shaft or the cylinder can be lockedfromrotation, or, when the clutch sleeve 78 is midway between the clutchsleeve 79 and the clutches 74-, both are free to rotate. correspondinglythe extension shaft 91 is coupled either to the shaft 29, or to thesleeve 32, rotatingwith the cylinder 42, or else uncoupled from both.This extension shaft is only required when direct axial transmission isemployed, as in ships and the like, whereas the engine itself, 2'. e.the cylinders with the pistons within, will serve as pulley iftransmission by belting is employed. 7

Having thus described the preferred form of my invention, it isunderstood that I do not want to be limited to its mechanical details.Especially I wish to mention that instead of a double expansion compoundconstruction I may employ a single cylinder construction, or else tripleor quadruple expansion etc. Also in the construction of stationaryengines the clutch coupling would be done away with, the shaft beingrigidly mounted on supports and the cylinder rotatably thereon, eitheras a belt pulley or directly coupled to dynamos, pumps or the like. Alsothe inlet and exhaust of steam into and from the hollow shaft can bemade differently from those shown and described above.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is: i

1. A rotary steam engine, comprising, in combination, a substantiallytubular shaft,

divided at its longitudinal center into an inlet and an outletcompartment, the inlet end being open and abutting into an inlet chamberformed in avertical support in which said open end of said shaft isrotatably mounted, said inlet chamber communicating through an inletchannel formed in saidsupport with the steam supply pipe, the

other end of said tubular shaft closed and rotatably mounted in a sleevecarried by another vertical support having an outlet channel formedtherein, :and an annular chamber surroundingsaid sleeve, an annularrecess formed inside of said sleeve correspondingly to said annularchamber, ports of communication leading from the outlet compartment ofsaid tubularshaft into the annular recess formed in said sleeve andtherefrominto the annular chamber surrounding said sleeve, a cylinderhaving one head integral with said sleeve and the other head integralwith a clutch-carrying sleeve, rotatably mounted on said'tubular shaft,a cylinder casing intermediate said cylinder heads re-.

movably fastened, thereto, a piston rigidlyv mounted on'said 'tubularshaft within said cylinder, divided into an inlet and an ex-"haust-chamber by a substantially verticalpartition, said inlet chambercommunicating through ports in said tubular shaft with the inletcompartment thereof and the exhaust chamber of said piston similarlycommunicating with the exhaust compartment of said I tubular shaft,supply ports leading from. said inlet chamber, of the piston into thespace between said piston and said cylindercover, exit ports leadingfrom said space into the exhaust chamber of the piston, two bossesformed on the outer periphery of said piston at diametrically oppositepoints thereof, forming steamtight partitions in said space between thepiston and cylindercover, said supply ports traversing said bosses,steamtight valve plates hingedly mounted in recesses formed in saidcylinder cover, equidistantly from each other, normally held in aposition by spring means to form steamtight partitions in said spacebetween the piston and the cylinder-cover, but adapted to be pushed intosaid recesses formed in the cylinder cover by said bosses, spring meansto mitigate the force of the impact between said valve plates and saidbosses, and means coacting with said clutchcarrying sleeve integral withone cylinderhead for alternately locking from rotation either saidcylinder or said tubular shaft, or releasing both.

2. A compound rotary steam engine comprising, in combination, asubstantially tubular shaft divided at its longitudinal center into aninlet and an outlet compartment, the inlet end being open and abuttinginto an inlet-chamber formed in a vertical support in which said openend of said shaft is rotatably mounted, said inlet-chamber communicatingthrough an inlet-channel formed in said vertical support with the steamsupply pipe; the other end of said tubular shaft closed and rotatablymounted in a sleeve carried by another vertical support having anoutlet-channel formed therein and an annular chamber surrounding saidsleeve, an annular recess formed inside of said sleeve correspondinglyto said annular chamber, ports of communication leading from the outletcompartment of said tubular shaft into the annular recess formed in saidsleeve and therefrom into the annular chamber surrounding said sleeve, aplurality of cylinders rotatably mounted on said tubular shaft, eachsuccessive cylinder larger than the preceding one in proportion of theexpansion of steam passing from one into the other, the first of saidcylinders having one head integral with a clutch-carrying sleeverotatable on said tubular shaft and the last of said cylinders havingone head integral with said sleeve carried by said vertical support,common heads between each two adjoining cylinders, cylinder-casingsbetween each pair of cylinder-heads, bolts connecting the severalcylinderheads and cylinder-casings causing all the cylinders to rotatetogether, a piston rigidly mounted on said tubular shaft, within each ofsaid cylinders, each of said pistons divided into an inlet and anexhaust chamber by substantially vertical partitions, the inlet chamberof the first of said pistons communicating through ports in said tubularshaft with the inlet compartment thereof and the exhaust chamber of thelast of said pistons similarly communicating with the exhaustcompartment of said tubular shaft, supply ports leading from the inletchambers of each piston into the space between said pistons and saidcylinder-covers, exit- 'thereof, forming steamtight partitions in saidspaces between the pistons and the respective cylinders, saidsupply-ports traversing said bosses, steamtight valve-plates hingedlymounted in recesses formed in said cylindercovers, equidistantly fromeach other, normally held in position by springmeans to form steamtightpartitions in said spaces between the pistons and the respectivecylinders, but adapted to be pushed into said recesses by said bosses,spring means to mitigate the force of impact between said valve platesand said bosses, ports through said intermediate cylinder-heads leadingfrom the exhaust-chamber of each piston into the inlet-chamber of eachsuccessive piston, and means coacting with said clutchcarrying sleevefor alternately locking from rotation either said cylinder or saidtubular shaft, or releasing both.

3. lVith a device of the character described, in combination, anextension shaft journaled in the bearing carried by the support at theexhaust end of the said shaft, said shaft'having claws at its endadapted to be engaged by claws at the end of the said extension shaftand forming a clutch gear with same, the claws on the extension shaftbeing arranged around its outer circumference and adapted to becomeengaged with similar claws formed in the inside of a sleeve inconnection with the cylinder and means connected with the aforesaidlever for coupling the said extension shaft to the main shaft or to thesaid sleeve of the cylinder or disconnecting it from both.

DIMITRIOS TAIFIRNOPOULOS. lVitnesses ALADER MAMBURGER, ALEXANDER Dunner.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

